Teapot



J. R. MILLEN Sept. 10, 1940.

TEAPOT Filed on, 1'7, 1938 a sp p -sheeg 1 3nnentor z/Zen Sept. 10, 1940.

J. R. MILLEN' TEAPOT Filed Oct. 17f 1938- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 t 'Jomes Q. M2 32: 3g Z Z W (Ittorneg Sept. 10, 1940. J. R. MILLEN 2,

TEAPQT Fix-ed Oct. 17, 1938 smears-$11951 s James i f i fim Patented Sept. 10, 1940 PATENT. OFFICE TEAPOT James R Millen, Detroit, Mich.- Application October 17, 1938, Serial No. 235,379

3 Claims.

This invention relates to vessels such as teapots, equipped with pouring spouts and having removable lids. I

An object oithe invention-is to adapt the lid of a teapot or the like to undergo a slight sliding travel to and; from the spout and to thereby secure the lid in place when slid toward the spout, thuseliminating annoyance and breakage due to the lid falling from the pot as the latter is tilted for pouring purposes. r

A more specific object isto form the lid of a teapot or the like. with oppositely projecting lugs, and to form corresponding notches in the annular lid-seating flange of the pot, through which notches the lugsmust pass as the lid is applied to its seat, the lugs being then engageable beneath the flange through a slight slidingv of the lid toward the spout.

Another object is to form a teapot or the like '0 with lugs projecting oppositely toward each oth- ,er fromthe periphery of thetopopening of the pot, and to form the ,lid with a skirt engageable in said opening and having a clearance therein such as to aiford the lid a slight sliding to and from the spout, such skirt having'recesses, to accommodate the lugs as the lid is initially seated' and such recesses having. lateral. extensions to receive and secure the lugs when the lid is slid toward the spout.

A further object is to adapt the skirt of the lid to interiorly receive the rim of the pot and to form such rim with recesses to receive lugs on the lid and secure such lugs, upon sliding the lid toward the spout.

These objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a teapot embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same, with a portion of the lid broken away to show its securing means, the lid being shown as initially engaged with its seat.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the lid in secured position.

Fig. 4 is an axial sectional view of the upper portion of the teapot tilted to its pouring position and showing the lid secured.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a-teapot having a modified provision for securing its lid in place.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentaryaxial sectional view of the upper portion of said teapot, showing its lid in an initially seated position.

(01. ass) Fig. 8 is a view similar to? but showing the lid ina secured position.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the lid, in inverted position.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a teapot, further modified in its lid-securing means. 1 dlFi 11 is a fragmentary bottom view of the Fig. 12-is an elevational view of the top portion of the teapot of Fig. 9, showing its lid in medial section.

Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view of the same,

taken on the line l3-l3 of Fig. 12. i

In these views, the reference character I designates a teapot equipped with a substantially elliptical lid Z and a pouring spout 3. The lid seats within the rim surrounding the open top of the pot and upon an annular interior flange 4, formed sufi'iciently below the edge of the rim to render the cover substantially flush with such edge. An elliptical skirt 5- on the cover engages within the elliptical opening formed by the flange .4, said skirt beingformed on its lower portion with a pair. of oppositely projecting lugs 6, which must pass through corresponding notches l in the flange 4, in initially applying the cover (see Fig. 2). The longitudinal dimensions of the cover are suffi'ciently less than those of the rim and the flange of the pot to afford the cover a limited sliding travel to and from the spout 3 (see Fig. 3). The lid rests with suflicient freedom on the flange that it may slide of its own weight to the specified limiting position when the pot is tilted for pouring purposes, as in Fig. l. Preferably the flange 4 is increased slightly in width in its portion remote from the spout and the skirt 5 is set back from the lid margin a slightly greater distance at the ends than at the sides of the lid, the lugs 6 being located substantially equidistantly from the lid ends, and the notches in the flange being approximately equidistant from the ends of opening formed by the flange. Thus the lid may be applied with either end adjacent to the spout and will still adequately overlap the flange 4, remotely from the spout, when in its secured position.

The lid and pot, as shown, are assured coincident axes by giving their engaged portions an elliptical form, thus facilitating registration of the lugs 6 with the notches "I. It is evident, hoW- ever, that the same result may be secured by otherwise similarly shaping the engaging portions of the lid and cover so as to prohibit more than two rotatively different applied positions of the lid.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to 9, a pair of lugs 8 project oppositely inward from the elliptical rim 9 of a tea pot I0, and the elliptical lid l l is adapted to seat marginally on the rim and is formed with a skirt l2 fitting within the rim with sufficient freedom to afford the lid a slight sliding travel to and from the spout l3. Said skirt is formed with a pair of recesses M at opposite sides thereof to accommodate the lugs 8, each recess extending sufficiently toward the lid ends to provide for the desired sliding travel of the lid and having a relatively narrow entrance portion I la extending to the lower edge of the skirt, and serving to accommodate the lugs 8 only when the lid is seated midway of its sliding travel. Thus when the pot is tilted for pouring purposes the lugs are engaged in corresponding end portions of the recesses I4, and the cover is secured in place and possibility of its falling 01f is eliminated. I

In the modification shownin Figs. 10 to 13, the rim I5 of a teapot is shaped at opposite points thereof to form channel-shaped recesses 56 in the outer face of the rim, extending downwardly from the top thereof, such recesses serving to accommodate a pair of lugs I1 projecting oppositely inward from the skirt ill of a lid I9. The lid is adapted to seat on an annular ledge 20 formed at the base of the rim, and when so seated, the skirt l8 fits around the rim, with sufiicient freedom to afford the lid a slight sliding travel to and from the spout (not shown). To further provide for such travel, the rim is formed, adjacent to the ledge 20 with additional recesses 2I, a pair of which extend from each recess IS a short distance toward the ends of the opening formed by the rim, so as to receive the lugs ll when the lid is slid from its initial seated position.

The invention is presented as including all such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A vessel having a pouring spout and a top opening and a lid for covering said opening, the lid having an approximately annular skirt depending therefrom, and the vessel havingya rim marginal to the opening, the skirt and rim being proportioned to interfit with sufficient relative clearance to afford the lid a limited sliding to and from the spout, one of said interfitting parts being formed with a pair of lugs at opposite sides of such part, and the other of said parts having opposed recesses to accommodate the lugs, such recesses having entrance portions substantially conforming in width to the lugs, and lateral extensions adaptedv to receive the lugs, upon sliding of the lid toward-and fromthe-spout, whereby the lid may be held in place upon tilting of the vessel for pouring purposes.

2. A vessel having a pouring spout and a top opening and a lid for covering said opening, the lid having an approximately annular skirt depending therefrom, and the vessel having a rim marginal to the opening, the skirt and rim being proportioned to interfit with suificient relative clearance to afford the lid alimited sliding to and from the spout,the rim being formed at opposite sides thereof with a pair of lugs, and the skirt having opposed recesses to accommodate the lugs, such recesses having entrance portions substantially conformin in width to the lugs, and lateral extensions adapted to receive the lugs, upon sliding of the lid toward the spout, whereby the lid may be held in place upon tilting of the vessel for pouring purposes.

3. A vessel having a pouring spout and a top 30 opening and a lid for covering said opening, the lid having an approximately annular skirt depending therefrom, and the vessel having a rim marginal to the opening, the skirt and rim being proportioned to interfit-with sufiioient relative clearance, to afford the, lid a limited sliding to and from the spout, one of said interfitting parts being formed with a pair of lugs at opposite sides of such part, and the other of said parts having opposed recesses to accommodate the lugs, each of said recesses having an entrance portion substantially conforming in width to said lugs and having a pair of opposedv lateral extensions adapted to selectively receive the corresponding lug accordingly as the lid is slid to or from'the spout, whereby the lid will be held in place upon tilting the vessel toward or from its spout.

JAMES R. MILLEN. 

